Adjustable shelf-bracket



D LLHUNT ADJUSTABLE- SHELF (No Model.)

BRACKET.

No. 552,052. Patented Dec. 24,1895.

UNITED raras AATENT rricne DAVID E. HUNTER, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ADJUSTABLE SHELF-BRACKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,062, dated December24, 1895.

Application filed April 9, 1895. Serial No. 545,094. (No model.) Y

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID E. HUNTER, of Cambridge, county of Middlesex,Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in AdjustableShelf-Brackets, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to adjustable brackets for library and othershelves, and has particular reference to the means for retaining` orclamping said brackets in vertically-adj usted position.

Prior to my invention brackets of this class have been made to slide inor on suitable vertical standards, and have been provided at their innerends, adjacent the standards, with suitable clamping devices, usuallyset-screws, by which to clamp the brackets in adjusted position upon thestandards. lVhen brackets of this class are used in connection withbook-supporting shelves, and the latter are filled with books, itbecomes necessary to remove part or all of the same to gain access tothe clamping devices or screws at the inner ends of the brackets,adjacent the standards, in order to manipulate the same to permitadjustment of the brackets. In any event an adjusting device arranged atthe inner ends of the brackets and accessible only at or near the saidinner ends is of necessity more or less inconvenient because of theinaccessibility of the same.

The object of my invention is-to provide a bracket with adjustingmechanism accessible for manipulation from the outside ,without thenecessity of removing the books or adjacent shelves.

The principle of the invention may be stated generally as comprehendinga shelf-support, adjustable upon a standard and supplied with a devicefor fixing the support and shelf in such adjusted position, such devicebeing extended to the front and outer edge of the shelf.

Having thus stated the principle of my invention, I will proceed now toset forth the best inode in which I have contemplated applying thatprinciple, and then will particularly point out and distinctly claim thepart, improvement or combination which I claim is my invention.

standard being shown in section; and Fig. 2,

a horizontal section taken on the dotted line x oc, Fig. l.

In the particular construction selected as an illustration of myinvention and shown in the drawings, A is a suitable supportingstandard,shown as provided at its opposite sides with usual dovetailed grooves oa for the reception of the dovetailed ears or heads on the inner end ofthe vertically-adjustable supporting-bracket B, said bracket beingadapted to slide vertically in one of the grooves a.

The bracket is provided with a suitable or usual shelf-support, hereinshown as an inwardly-extended flange h.

The adjusting or clamping device is herein shown as a screw c, havingits acting end c threaded and screwed into a suitable lug on the innerend of the bracket, it being herein shown as screwed into and throughthe lower dovetailed lug b, said screw c having its shank extendedlongitudinally of the bracket for nearly or quite the entire length ofthe latter and having a suitable bearing, as c2, at or near the frontend of the bracket, the eX- treme outer end of the screw o, constitutingits operating end, being preferably squared at c3 or otherwise adaptedfor the reception of a suitable operating key or device d. While thescrew may be slotted as usual for the reception of an ordinaryscrewdriver, yet in the preferred construction it is made square orotherwise specially adapted to receive an operating device more in theform of a key, as shown.

In the preferred construction the bracket is provided with a shield b2,surrounding and preferably slightly in front of the operating end cS ofthe screw, to shield or protect the same, the operating device d beinginserted through this shield in its application to the clamping device.

It is evident that were the shelf in position iilled with books, andwith the books upon the shelf beneath reaching nearly or quite to theshelf upon the bracket, the clampingscrew of the latter is fullyaccessible from the IOO front of the bracket and easily manipulated v topermit slight adjustment of the shelf without requiring the removal ofany of the books except so far as the operator is incapable ofcontrolling the adjustment with the load of books upon the bracket. Theadjustment of the bracket is thus accomplished with greater freedom andease than' is possible with the former constructions wherein theclamping device is accessible only at the inner end of the bracket andis only possible by the removal of a portion of the books at that sideof the shelf at which the clamping device is arranged.

It is obvious that within the scope of my claim the details ofconstruction may be varied.

I claim- The combination with a standard, of a vertically adjustableshelf supporting bracket thereon, the same projecting in the directionof its length at the front of said standard and at substantially rightangles to the line of the shelf, a shelf support on one side of saidbracket in front of said standard to sustain the end of the shelf withsaid end substantially parallel with the length of the bracket, and anadjusting device on and adjustable with the said bracket, with itsacting end adjacent the standard and the inner edge of the shelf, saidadjusting device being extended longitudinally of the bracket andtransversely of the shelf to at or near the front end of the bracket andfront edge of the shelf and fitted at said front end for the receptionof a suitable operating device, whereby said adjusting device isaccessible for adjustment when the adjacent shelves are filled withbooks, Without removal of any of the said books, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID E. HUNTER. 'Iitiiesses:

FREDERICK L. EMERY, JOHN C. EDWARDS.

